|
|
This is Kai. He loves his dads so much that he is willing to wear a silly unicorn costume on days other than Halloween to bring attention to this issue. His dads were bullied, harassed, or silenced for being gay or perceived to be gay in their childhood. Even as adults, they still encounter hate and bias today.
|
|
Day of Silence
Friday, April 23 is the annual Day of Silence for LGBTQ+ community and allies around the world to spread awareness about the effects of bullying and harassment on LGBTQ+ individuals. 61% of LGBTQ Americans say they or someone they know were bullied or harassed for their sexual orientation. Youth first led this movement in 1996, and members of the Multnomah Youth Commission (MYC) invite you to participate on April 23 by wearing tape over your mouths or drawing an “X" on each of your hands to further call attention to the movement.
“Harassment is unfortunately a reality for most queer people and those who don't identify within the gender binary.” said MYC member Alana Nayak. “I can say that as a multiracial queer woman, I have been called racial slurs, fetishized, and told that there is something wrong with me. It is hard to be out with my girlfriend without receiving looks or a man fetishizing our love.”
Nayak participated in the Day of Silence at school most years by carrying around a whiteboard or her phone to communicate with teachers and other students.
“For allies, it can be a day to reflect upon the experience of LGBTQ+ people and the silence or erasure they feel when spoken over (often by allies),” said MYC member Lane Shaffer. “It's important for allies to understand that 99% of the time, the best way to support their queer friends is by uplifting their voices rather than speaking over them.”
MYC members believe bullying, harassment, and fetishization of LGBTQ+ identifying people is a massive issue and it is often overlooked by adults.
“MYC is committed to advocating for LGBTQ+ youth and we uplift our voices through experiences like this,” said Nayak. “Especially during BLM, Portlanders must understand that the experiences of brown and Black queer people are very different than the experience of white queer folks.” Basic Rights Oregon’s Executive Director Nancy Haque and others explain more in a recent NPR interview: For LGBTQ People Of Color, Discrimination Compounds: NPR.
Last year, the MYC creatively (and virtually) hosted programming around voter education, transit equity, and anti-violence. Later this spring, the MYC will be announcing anti-violence grant recipients. Last week, they closed recruitment and received 44 applications for the 2021-22. Stay tuned for more exciting MYC announcements.
|
|
Call it COVID
In March 2020, a Portland-based creative agency, Wieden + Kennedy’s Asian American affinity group made and shared a powerful video message conveying how Asians were being affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and rhetoric around it.
As violent Anti-Asian hate crimes continue to escalate, the video resurfaced. This 2021 video version was updated to reflect the only thing that has changed since 2020--the increasing number of hate crime cases reported. Watch the Call It COVID video.
Workshop Opportunities: The Trauma of Anti-Immigrant Hate
As part of Civic Life's Constructing Civic Dialogues program join Neighbors West-Northwest, Friendly House and Portland United Against Hate as we come together to learn more about systems of oppression and how we can create change for the better.
SAVE THE DATE: The Trauma of Anti-Immigrant Hate: Impact and Intervention from a Trauma-Informed Perspective on Wednesday, April 28 from 5 to 7 p.m. Learn about how hate incidents impact the immigrant and refugee communities and explore trauma-informed interventions. Anti-immigrant hate incidents is not limited to individual victims as it further creates challenges of social integration and communal resilience for immigrant and refugee communities. This workshop explores challenges to transitional processes from cycles of victimization to cycles of healing that may result in greater social alienation and marginalization if unaddressed. Learn more about the event, and don't forget to register!
And, as part of their Active Allies Workshops, join Neighbors West-Northwest for Calling In: Approaching Equity With Empathy on Thursday, April 29 from 5 to 7 p.m. Learn to develop intervention skills to make a lasting impact in your community and register here.
|
|
|
|
Neighbors Helping Neighbors PDX truck. Last year, the North Portland Group collected 211,000 pounds of trash in North Portland.
|
|
Neighbors Helping Neighbors
It began with a simple question: “If we could do anything to help, what would it be?” This question was asked by Kenton resident Terrance Moses to houseless community members on the Peninsula Crossing Trail in 2016 and the response, “We need help getting rid of trash”, informed Terrance’s group Neighbors Helping Neighbors PDX. Founded in the Spring of 2016, Neighbors Helping Neighbors PDX works with houseless community members and volunteers to remove trash from houseless communities in North Portland, provides welfare checks, and builds relationships between the houseless and housed communities.
“When Terrance first talked with houseless community members living at the Peninsula Crossing Trail, he heard their frustrations about the trash accumulating. They didn’t have trash service and they didn’t have permission to put it in trash containers in North Portland,” said Patt Opdyke, the Program Coordinator at Neighbors Helping Neighbors PDX. “Terrance was excited to help with this issue. We have grown our capacity every year. In 2020 alone, we collected 211,000 pounds of trash around North Portland and Delta Park.”
Neighbors Helping Neighbors PDX is one of 30 North Portland groups participating in the North Portland Neighborhood Services’ (NPNS) sponsored North Portland Doers Gathering. Each of the members of the Doers Gathering provide support for people experiencing homelessness, housing instability and access to food.
|
|
|
|
Image showing progress of Friends Helping Neighbors PDX founder, Terrance Moses, before and after clearing trash from a street in North Portland.
|
|
With rising houselessness due to increased housing prices and the impact of COVID-19, the NPNS and North Portland Doers Gathering have organized two houseless forums and are working to create a resource showcasing organizations providing houseless support in North Portland.
“I have worked for the Portland District Coalition Office, North Portland Neighborhood Services (NPNS) for over 20 years.” Said Mary Jaron Kelley, the Associate Program Director of NPNS “The work evolves each year but the one constant that I have always experienced is the empathy, strength, and enthusiasm our community has for making North Portland a great community. The Doers Gathering members are a shining example of the compassion our community has for one another.”
The inaugural Doers Gathering event first launched in May 2019 at The University of Oregon’s Agora Journalism Center. One of the co-founders of the original Doers Gathering and director of the center, Andrew DeVigal, shares their philosophy that “when you include those most affected by a problem in the conversation, better solutions can emerge.”
“I’m thrilled that organizations have taken this model and made it their own. The framework can go beyond solving housing insecurity by bringing together those working on other pressing local issues such as healthcare, environment, and education.” Andrew said. If you know of individuals or organizations working on solutions addressing our region’s most challenging problems, you can host your event using their Doers Gathering Toolkit.
North Portland Neighborhood Services is one of seven District Coalition Offices serving neighborhoods across Portland. NPNS serves eleven neighborhoods in North and Northeast Portland: Arbor Lodge, Bridgeton, Cathedral Park, East Columbia, Hayden Island, Kenton, Overlook, Piedmont, Portsmouth, St. Johns, and University Park.
Neighbors Helping Neighbors PDX serves communities in North Portland. If you are interested in learning more or volunteering, please visit their Facebook page.
If you have questions about hosting your own Doers Gathering, please reach out to Andrew DeVigal at adevigal@uoregon.edu.
|
|
|
|
Civic Life held and recorded a virtual informational meeting on Tuesday, April 20 for those interested in the RFP: Liability Insurance Coverage.
|
|
RFP Opportunity: Liability Insurance Coverage
Civic Life is seeking proposals for a nonprofit organization partner to assist neighborhood associations and other volunteer and place-based groups in Southwest Portland to obtain organizational liability insurance coverage, which will support the community’s ability to participate in community and civic engagement activities. We will award one grant of up to $20,000 to a nonprofit organization partner.
This RFP is part of Ordinance 190321 for Civic Life to provide direct support to neighborhood associations and placed-based community groups in Southwest Portland as part of our 100-day transition plan issued on March 10.
Proposals are due on Wednesday, May 5, 2021 at 4 p.m. (PST). Applicants attended a virtual information session held on Tuesday, April 20. View the recorded informational meeting and learn more about the RFP on our website.
|
|
¡Vamos a Arreglarlo!
Nuestros negocios locales han sido muy afectados por actos de vandalismo y robo, así como por los protocolos requeridos de seguridad de COVID-19 que limitan la cantidad de clientes permitidos en la tienda. ¡Queremos hacer lo que podamos para ayudarlos a sobrevivir, prosperar y volver más fuertes! Únase a nosotros el 22 de abril para nuestro evento de Feria Fix-It en español "Seguridad Personal" que presenta información útil, como:
- Reconocer y confiar en sus propios instintos
- Ganar confianza para defender su seguridad
- Aprender consejos sobre cómo reducir la intensidad o escapar de situaciones que se sienten inseguras
La ciudad de Portland ofrece ferias Fix-It a través de la Oficina de Planificación y Sostenibilidad para conectar a los habitantes de Portland con expertos, y entre ellos, para aprender formas simples, económicas o gratuitas de ahorrar dinero y estar saludables durante todo el año.
Las ferias Fix-It ofrecen a nuestras comunidades recursos, presentaciones, talleres y oportunidades para compartir habilidades sobre:
- Reparación de sus propios bienes como ropa, electrodomésticos o bicicletas
- Ahorro de agua y energía
- Climatización y aislamiento de su hogar
- Jardinería y cultivo de su propia comida
- Y más
Puede registrarse para la capacitación del 22 de abril aquí. Para obtener más información o si tiene alguna pregunta, llámenos al 503-313-3318 o envíe un correo electrónico a fixitfair@portlandoregon.govl ¡Y asegúrese de seguirnos en Facebook!
|
|
Join an Advisory Body
Joining an advisory body is a way for Portlanders to lend their expertise and personal or professional experience to the City of Portland. As an advisory body member, you will work closely with community members and City of Portland liaisons to impact policies and programs.
The Portland Parks and Recreational Board – April 26
The PP&R Board is to advise the PP&R Director and City Council on PP&R related issues and to advocate for the wellbeing of and equitable access to PP&R services. This advisory board ensures PP&R strategic initiatives are at the forefront of discussions; that parks, natural areas, open spaces and recreation facilities are advanced throughout the city; continuity when leadership transitions occur; and providing a forum for public discussion and advising on park issues, bringing a city-wide and long-term perspective to neighborhood-based issues. Apply here.
Arts Education & Access Fund (AEAF) Oversight Committee – May 10
The Arts Education & Access Fund (AEAF) provides arts teachers for all K-5 students in the City of Portland and to provide financial support to local arts organizations. It is a collaboration between Portland’s residents, the city, the school districts, and the Regional Arts and Culture Council (RACC). The AEAF Oversight Committee is charged with reviewing the AEAF expenditures, progress, and outcomes and reporting its findings to the City Council annually. Find out more and how to apply here.
|
|
|
|
|
|
